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Today's News - Monday, November 4, 2013

Alcohol is believed to be a factor in a fatal wreck in Summerhill Township, Cambria County. Shortly before 3a.m. Sunday, 21-year-old Lyle Popish of Beaverdale was killed when the SUV he was riding in struck an embankment along Route 53 and then rolled over. The driver, 20-year-old Zweth Markel of Beaverdale, was taken to Johnstown’s Memorial Medical Center with moderate injuries. Neither man was wearing a seatbelt.

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The man who was ejected from his vehicle and then hit a house last week in Jenner Township, Somerset County has died. 21-year-old Cody Jerin of Hooversville was driving along Green Bridge Road when the accident happened.

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James Hoopsick went to police last month and told them his nephew had asked him repeatedly to kill one of his employees. Now Hoopsick is facing charges himself. Around 12:30 Saturday morning, Hoopsick allegedly pointed a gun at another man in the parking lot of the patton Sheetz. His nephew, Shane Krestar of Fallentimber, is charged with solicitation to commit murder. He owns Key Life Human Services in Coalport.

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This Tuesday is Election Day, but for some Somerset County residents, there won’t be many names on the ballot to choose from. According to “The Daily American,” almost 70 percent of the boroughs in the county are likely to have at least one vacant council seat next year. Experts say the problem is statewide, and that in smaller boroughs it’s hard to find people to participate in local government.

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Eligible Pennsylvania residents can apply for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program beginning today. LIHEAP is a grant that offers assistance in the form of a cash grant, sent directly to the utility company, or a crisis grant for households in immediate danger of being without heat. In some cases, the income limits for LIHEAP have been raised from last year.

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Penn State’s Board of Trustees met behind closed doors Friday to continue discussing the hiring of a new president. They had originally planned to announce a name last week, but then decided to wait and talk some more. Following the session, the university issued a release saying the search “is proceeding with vigor” and the board “is dedicated to finding the best leader to take Penn State into the future.” No other trustee meetings are expected until the next regularly scheduled meeting on November 22.

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President Obama will rally supporters of his healthcare reform law at a summit today in Washington. Organizing for Action's event hopes to drum up grassroots support for White House efforts to sign up uninsured Americans in light of disappointing participation.

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A new survey indicates very few people who now have individual policies or are uninsured have visited the new, government-run health insurance marketplaces. The Commonwealth Fund survey found that only 17 percent of people who are potentially eligible for Obamacare have checked out the sites.

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Secretary of State John Kerry is hoping to mend relations with Saudi Arabia during his visit today with King Abdullah. The relationship has been strained due to recent events including U.S. actions regarding Syria and Egypt.

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The first democratically elected president of Egypt is on trial today, four months after being ousted by the military. Mohamed Mursi is accused of inciting murder during violent clashes outside the presidential palace last December.

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Authorities in Los Angeles say a warning about the LAX shooting suspect arrived a few minutes too late. Family members of 23-year-old Paul Ciancia received disturbing text messages from him on Friday, called their local police in Pennsville, New Jersey who then relayed the warning to Los Angeles police.

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Freddie Falcon is in a bit of hot water after sending out an insensitive tweet. The Atlanta Falcons mascot attended the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Walk yesterday and then tweeted “Had a good time at the suicide prevention walk today. May need to go back if our season continues the way it is.”

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Janis Joplin is being added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A star honoring the late rock legend, who died in 1970, is being unveiled in a ceremony today. Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson, who wrote Janis' biggest hit "Me and Bobby McGee," will be on hand for the ceremony and perform a special version of the song.

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Microsoft is revealing its 12-year-old Windows XP operating system is six times more likely to get hacked than the newer Windows 7 or 8 systems. The tech giant is hoping this hacking reality will push Windows XP users to upgrade to Windows 7 or Windows 8.

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It's time for parents to start taking a look at their kids' holiday wish lists. According to a survey from shopping site Ebates.com, 88 percent of kids ages twelve to 17 have some kind of gadget at the top of their list. The most popular item among the teens surveyed was the Apple iPhone. The PlayStation4 was the most popular choice for young boys. Only about half of the Apple-loving teens will be getting the gift of their dreams this holiday season, however. Fifty-four percent of the parents surveyed said they were planning on purchasing an Apple product for their kid this year.